Oil-treating apparatus



June 22 1925.

E. A. DIETERLE OIL TREATING APPARATUS Filed April '7, 1923 wa Jane 22 1926.

' I EDWARD A. nm'rmtnn, or GLEN ELLYN, rumors.

OIL-TREATING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 7,

My invention relates to a hydrocarbon crhcking apparatus the invention having for its object the provision of a construction whereby the treatment of the oil is accomplished by finely spraying the same into con! tact with the heated surfaces in a closed shell 'or casing, with the heated surfaces being preferably so arranged relative to the intro ductiqn of the oil, that the sprayed oil will be progressively subjected to Increas ng temperatures, for the purpose of producing gasoline, or other of the lighter hydrocarbons.

A further object of the invention is to pro-,

.,vide a paratus whereby the lighter products may e withdrawn from the apparatus, while the heavier uncracked oils Wlll separate therefrom and be withdrawn through a .Suitabl'e controllable outlet.

-A further object of the inventlon is to provide apparatus whereby-the process-of cracking may be practically continuously be more readily comprehended from the detailed description. of the accompanying drawing, wherein v Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my im roved apparatus.

li igure '2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the particular exempli'fication of the invention, the apparatus comprises a suitable metallic shell 10, of dimensions suificient to receive a suitable number of predetermined arrangement of tubes or flues 11, 12, of mate rial adapted to withstand the comparatively high temperatures and pressures to WhlCh the are subjected in an oil eracklng process an also to resist breakage that might resultfrom temperature changes; the tubes or flues being preferably of calorized steel which is especi 1y adapted to retard or prevent the tendency of carbon formation. V

The tubes or flues 11, 12, may be expanded other series.

1923. Serial No, 630,431;

or otherwise securely fastened in the side one side thereof, I provide a combustion chamber 14, preferably containing checker brick work of suitable refractory material to the bottom of the shell or tank 10 and at and which is also shown provided with a suitable gas or oil burner 15, connected with a suitable source of supply which may be controlled by a suitable valve as at 16; the

chamber 14 being preferably provided with small openings about the burner in order to aid combustion. The products of combustion pass from the combustion chamber 14 into the various tubes or flues and discharge into the chamber 17 arranged adjacent to the upuer end of the shell and shown in the ex emnlification on the opposite side thereof,

the chamber 17 being provided with a suitable stack'or flue as at 18 in Figure 1.

In order to provide ample heating surface and at the same time increase the length of travel of the hot gases therethrough, I prefer to bend the tubes or flues 11 and 12 back in reverse manner upon themselves with an ogee curve or into an S-formation as shown in Figure 1, and to arrange the flues in series, with the fines of each series horizontally spaced apart and the flues of one series arranged in staggered relation to those of the This is more clearly shown in Figure 2, where the one or lowermost series for illustration, is shown comprising the two tubes 11 arranged equi-distances apart and disposed toward the opposite side ofthe shell where they are shown bent upwardly and in reverse direction, thence upwardly and in the direction of the initial ends, as shown at 11. The other series is shown consisting of the three tubes or flues 12 also arranged in horizontal spaced relation but arranged in vertical staggered relation with thgrflues or tubes 11 of the first mentioned series.

The tubes or flues 12, like the 'tubes 11, are provided with the reverse upward bends to provide the oppositely extendin portions 12. With this arrangement, the 1ot gases are not only given a circuitous or long .ceedin'g turns of each series, before the travel from the combustion chamber to the outlet, chamber or stack, but also provide increased heating'or treating surface. As'is more clearly showngin- Figure 2, the various bends or horizontal portions of the two series, occupy differenthorizontal planes,

- so that the oil or tar being treated will be subjected to a heated reticular surface in its passage through or path of flowinto the shell.

The oil to be cracked'is fed into the shell or tank 10,-from a suitable source of supply,

' or undecomposed portion will flowor op perature.

' gradually down and contact alternately with the turns 11 of the other series 11, and the next sucheavier or uncracked oil of the shell 10. p I,

The -shell or tank' 10 is preferably rectangular in cross-section and providedexteriorly with suitable insulation as at 22;

falls to the bottom and at a point adjacent to the top, the tank or shellis provided with a vapor outlet or conduit 23, whereby the vapor is led to suitable condensers and storage receptacles.

The heavier uncracked oil is withdrawn from the shell or tank 10 through conduit 24; the tank or shell being shown also provided with a clean-out valved opening shown at 25.

In order that the condition of the tubes or flues 11 and 12 may be determined'or seen, the shell 10 at a point substantially in alignment with the lower turns of the tubes or fines isshown provided with a sight-cock 26; while at the same time a pyrometer as at 27, may be employed to determine the tem- It is apparent from the construction that the injected oil spray will be subjected to increasing temperatures; the lighter fractions vaporizing and rising in the shell and being withdrawn through the take-off conduit 23,-t-to be conveyed to suitable condensers; while the unvaporized oil travels down over the tubes or flues and therefore encounters progressively hotter flues, causing other products to vaporize as the cracking progresses.

-With my improved apparatus, it "is evi- 1 dent that but a small amount of oil is in the. system at any given time, thus materially reducing the danger of operation; while at the same time the formation of carbon-is less likely. In the event of any carbon being formed, it may be readily removed by maintaining the tubes "at the desired temperaturew'hile steam, superheated steam, or air is caused-to pass over them; the oxygen combining with the carbon and forming carbon monoxide and dioxide, thereby removing.

any carbon that might form. ,My improved apparatus is equally well adapted to the treatment of tar in a form that permits it to be sprayed onto or against the heated flues; the essence of the invenhowever, that the tubes or flues 11 and 12 need not necessarily be provided with the ourvaturesshown, but that they may be difierently formed and disposed intermediate of the combustion chamber and the outlet or stack of the apparatus. In order that the tubes may be maintained in proper position, I prefer to provide 'the various" sup porting cross-bars 28, arranged transversely of the tubes and suitably securedto the sides of the casing; and it is also apparent that a treatment of oil involving the use of a suitable catalytic medium may be practiced with my improved ap aratus, as the various tubes or flues may e coated with suitable catalyzing material without in any way altering the general construction of apparatus'.

When desired, namely with certain oils and under certain conditions, the process of decomposing or cracking the oil may be accomplished ,under suitable pressure in 'the shell by re lating the valve of outlet conduit 23 against the free flow of vapors sulficiently to roduce the result desired.

It is evident that the apparatus ermit's of the method as heretofore describe being reversed, with the oil sprayed into the tubes or flues while the heating gases or medium may be caused to flow through the shell around the tubes or fiues. Furthermore, the

crackingof the oil may be accomplished in 0 eration have been described in terms e1n-:

p oyed merely as terms of description and not as terms of limitation, as structural modifications are possible and may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention. a

. What I claim is 1,689,631 r Y a 1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a metallic shell provided at one end with a combustion chamber while the opposite end is provided with an outlet stack, a plurality of metallic tubes or fines, bent back and forth in opposite directions, disposed intermediate of the combustion chamber and the outlet and in communication therewith, the fines being arranged in series, with the fines of one series arranged in staggered relation with the fines of the other, means communicatin with a source of supply whereby oil may 0 sprayed onto the tubes, regulable means whereby the vaporized products may be conveyed from the shell and whereby pressure in the shell may be obtained, and means whereby the residual oils may be withdrawn from the lower end of the shell.

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a casing, a combustion chamber adjacent to the lower end of the casing, an outlet or stack adjacent to the opposite end of the casing, a plurality of metallic fines or tubes bent back and forth uponthemselves between the combustion chamber and the stack, with one portion of a tube arranged above the other, the tubes being the condition of said fines or tubes may be determined from the casing exterior, regulable means whereby oil may be sprayed onto said heating surface. and means whereby the separated oil products may be separately withdrawn from the casing.

EDWARD A. DIETERLE. 

